Ethiopia and South Sudan sign anti-rebels’ security agreement

October 28, 2016 (JUBA) - leaders of Ethiopia and South Sudan have signed a series of cooperation agreements on Friday, including a security arrangement to stop hosting armed opposition groups in their respective countries.

The deal per a communiqué signed at the presidential palace in the South Sudanese capital, Juba, on Friday between President Salva Kiir and his visiting Ethiopian premier, Hailemariam Desalegn, calls on Ethiopia not to support armed groups, probably targeting members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) under the leadership of the controversially ousted former First Vice President, Riek Machar.

Ethiopia hosted and led the mediation of the the peace process between Kiir and Machar which was signed in August last year to end 21 months of civil war, but which implementation has been disrupted by the recent renewal of violent conflict between the two factions in July in Juba, resuming the war.

In his statement, the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, has reiterated the commitment of his administration and the people of his country to help in the implementation of the peace agreement, saying he would want to see a peaceful and prosperous South Sudan.

“We are very keen to see South Sudan be a peaceful country and a prosperous country... because we believe that the South Sudanese people have suffered enough for half a century and peace should prevail in South Sudan,” Prime Minister Desalegn said.

“We will not support an armed struggling group or anyone who opts for path of war and therefore we will not allow any armed movement which is detracting from peace in our region both in Ethiopia and South Sudan and will cooperate in a strong army-to-army cooperation where the president has agreed to send his chief of staff quickly to Addis Ababa and they will agree on the common cooperation of making our borders and also inland secure,” he said, while speaking to the media in Juba alongside South Sudanese President Kiir.

During the one day visit to Juba, Ethiopian Prime Minister, Deselagn, also addressed the Transitional National Legislative Assembly and reiterated his country’s support to peace in South Sudan in addition to a few economic and infrastructural agreements the two nations want to jointly implement.

Other agreements signed include five roads construction project - with Ethiopia funding two highways through a loan to South Sudan. Oil agreement and trading was another area of agreements signed by respective ministers of both countries.

President Kiir on his part said he was happy with the agreement with Ethiopia on security and development projects, saying he was hoping to see change coming.

"We will be vigilant always to review all the agreements for the benefit of the two countries and we are hopeful that things will change," said Kiir.

The agreement would deny hosting or support of Machar and his faction, implying that the Ethiopian government would recognize the current setup in Juba after the 8 July violence which kicked out Machar from the capital.

SPLM-IO DOWNPLAYS DEAL

Machar’s spokesperson James Gatdet Dak, said the SPLM-IO and its army, the SPLA-IO, are both intact inside South Sudan and will use all means necessary, including peaceful dialogue and revival of the peace deal and the right to self-defence through popular armed resistance, to save the country from the “failed anti-peace regime” of President Kiir.

He further dismissed claims that their armed opposition and its leadership has been isolated in the region, saying what is happening is a temporary misunderstanding by some leaders which will be sorted out in time through engagement.

Some IGAD leaders who have not yet met Machar after he escaped the assassination in Juba, he said, may still want to hear from him in a face-to-face engagement before they could have a better picture of the situation.

Dak, said there seemed to be misunderstanding among some leaders of IGAD, saying some of them were reneging on their communiqué of last August which called for reinstatement of Machar as First Vice President and the implementation of the agreement once a regional force is deployed.

However, he said Machar will be consulting with such leaders in order to clear the air by telling his side of the story of what transpired in Juba and to undo the “lies” told by the regime in Juba.

(ST)

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29 October 2016 11:06, by Paul Ongee

I’ll be happy to hear when Riek Machar will be telling side of his story to IGAD leaders how he joined SPLA/M, stabbed the movement in the back in 1991 in broad daylight, joined Khartoum for free accommodation, money, vehicles, you name it and how he returned to the same movement in 2002 to be forgiven, and how he failed (3) times in his coup attempts of 1991, 2013 and 2016. How he uses violence.

Yea, to hear a side of Riek Machar’s story like that is important. Change of allegiance, today in the bush, tomorrow in Khartoum/Addis Ababa in cozy hotels where you simply issue order to the ignorant followers. You know, telling people something like that while smiling at the same time is important. That is how people and IGAD leaders will get to know who is really Riek Machar Teny.

Paul Ongee,
Is traumatized by the events of 1991. He doesn’t want to acknowledge how the jienges have massacred thousands of Nuer, killed many more Madis, Morus, Fajulus, Kakwas. No sane Equatorian would write such bullshit except some jienge scoundrel aka MTN.

Paul Ongee,
Don,t laugh ayyyyyyaaaaa nincompoop,this is media propaganda,look at the statement from Sudan-tribune writer not Ethiopian Prim Minister himself if you may understand the media language. We will not support an armed struggling group or anyone who opts for path of war,try to digest this language, there are no even Ethiopia rebels in South Sudan territory.

You should know politics is organic. It is subject to change to suit the prevailing condition in which the country is in. Remember in politics today’s foe of yours can be your comrade in arms tomorrow. Do not stick on the past, focus on the future. Machar is only working to remove tribal supremacy and install democracy in South Sudan.

It does not matter whether the instrument for change comes from angels or satan. The focus is CHANGE due to failure of leadership in J1. Change for justice, freedom and independence where the government is a government is of people by people and for people in which a leader is a servant of the people but not Beny(Sir).

I am very happy with my government of South Sudan. President Kiir is the man of peace and he committed for peace in South Sudan.
I like that Riek Machar has banned from coming back to Juba South Sudan.

Yaa charmustha Nyandengtot, ur husband tribalist primitive kiir will never achievement his trjbal agenda. The Ethiopian people are lead by a democratic system where they cannot support a system of governance like one in south Sudan. Be sure u ad being lure into real traps. Just like u did to DR Riek machar.

Dinka’ chief, Kiir can bribe all IGAD countries leaders but peace will not come to South Sudan if he continue refuses to dialogue with rival partners. The SPLA-IO has no present in Ethiopia and never acquired arms in Ethiopia either. Kiir’s agreement with frozen brain Ethiopia Prime minister will not bring peace.

Kiir is a wild wolf, any intelligent person like Dr. Machar, Dr. Lam cannot waste their valuable time negotiating with this Dinka’s dog. Kiir is the smartest Dinka, but he is most foolish tribal leader on earth. He is the most goofy person in S. Sudan. Kiir is a jerk, vision-less, war criminals and power greedy tribal chief.

What kind of intelligence are u talking about RIAK, your boss is rigged man,he lack reasoning and do not have intelligence background but Kiir is.Democracy of Riak will never be accepted here in S.S and anyone who is supporting that kind of violentocracy must know that they will grey their hairs there without any breakthrough.

Even when I tells you,these criminals won’t believe me,however iam talking to these Zombies and monkeys, that how do isolation look like? S.Sudan is improving her relations with West your godfather, with Sudan who’s arms,logistics, funding, training and sheltered you,Kenya has decant itself, Ethiopia has seen the danger of always been seen by S.Sudan as harbour or giving diplomatic immunity 2rebel

Dinka Aliap,
You will remain as Dinka forever without change since you are strongly supporting this dead regime of Kiir/Malong,South Sudan is nearly to be change by South Sudanese democrat’s and you will remain like that Y@yaaaaaa primitive majority.

Naath, you are a Nyagat and you will never change to better. Nyagat will always be Nyagat whether he/she had a PhD. Your uncle fought Dr. Garang because he was a Dinka. Now, you reject President Kiir because he is a Dinka. When are you going to accept great leaders from Dinka tribe? Answer, you will never. What kinds of ideas do you study in school? How to be a Nyagat number one like Machar?

Understand that Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda have never helped the rebels with arms, food, training but we have been fighting the rogue, corrupt, rapist, tribalist and idiotic regime for four straight years. And we will continue fight this vision-less regime until it come to it knees. Whether you believe it or net the last laugh will not be for you.

Nobody is supporting Kiir,we know where he’s wrong or good in but if some zombies and monkeys who hates tribe instead of govt then people must defend themselves and this were Riak and his rebels failed,tribalism u are preaching will only adds life to his presidency believe it or not,you will see by your own eyes they outcome dz summer.

Lets those fools understand that Ethiopia has its own interests in South Sudan, and worries about S.S should it pay her using same coins, forgets about Riak and comes as S.Sudanese and contribute to development, gets benefit because country belongs to all of us.

Lets those fools understand that Ethiopia has its own interests in South Sudan, and worries about S.S should it pay her using same coins, forgets about Riak and comes as S.Sudanese and contribute to development, gets benefit because country belongs to all of us.

Ethiopia is playing evil cards against s.sudan. They have interest in s.sudan land graspping. To destroy the Country slowly one by one, like they destroy Anyuak future generations. This new generation of S.sudan shall not be foolled again. we have our own interest to get our lost land back.

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